The German military vehicles manufacturer, Rheinmetall, has subcontracted Curtiss-Wright to deliver Turret Drive Stabilisation Systems (TDSS) for its next-generation main battle tank (MBT), the KF51 Panther.
A TDSS ensures that the turret of an armoured platform remains stable despite disturbances: vehicle movement, vibrations, and even recoil from firing weapons. This balance guarantees accuracy of both the azimuth (horizontal) and elevation (vertical) for the armament’s trajectory while steadying the targeting and tracking capabilities.
Track record
Curtiss-Wright, although based in the United States, has a manufacturing site in Swtizerland, which allows the company to meet user requirements to strengthen the European defence market.
This will contribute toward defence industrial objectives laid out by the European Union in April last year in its inaugural strategy. Among these aims, member states must ensure that, by 2030, the value of intra-EU defence trade represents at least 35% of the value of the EU defence market.
Nevertheless, the supplier has specialised in TDSSs for more than 30-years among more than 30 military organisations aroudn the world.
The modular architecture of its TDSS – which cuts down on time and costs – simplifies integration into both new turret build programmes and existing platforms. Besides the Panther, the company’s TDSS is integrated into the British Army’s Challenger 3 MBT, 8×8 Boxer family of vehicles, Lynx infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), and the Austrian Ulan IFV.
Under the contract, Curtiss-Wright’s Swiss facility, located in Neuhausen am Rheinfall, will provide Rheinmetall with its system and associated hand controllers. Notably, the Panther features a flexible assembly design that uses multiple drives for one axis. This ensures that the TDSS delivers flexibility for space claim design and weight distribution. The subcontractor began production udner this contract in December 2024.
Profile: KF51 Panther
The KF51 MBT is a next generation concept for a European-made MBT developd by Rheinmetall but the platform form will be primarily built in Hungary. The German manufacturer suggests the highly lethal and digitised platform is based on a distinctly radical design.
The Panther comprises the hull of a Leopard 2A4, a third generation MBT, compatible with Hungary’s legacy fleet, of which there are 12 units according to GlobalData. However, the key lethality aspect lies with the 130mm smoothbore gun that the TDSS will stabilise, which is larger than most 120mm MBT cannons.
Curtiss-Wright’s TDSS has stabilised a range of gun calibres including 20mm, 105mm, and 120mm. But it worth noting that Rheinemetall’s Future Gun System will likely be the largest yet.
A heavier gun requires more force from the stabilisation system to counteract movement and maintain aim, especially when the vehicle is in motion or on uneven terrain. Likewise, the control system needs to be more sophisticated to handle the increased load.
